Grim Batol
thumb|right|The mountaintop fortress of Grim Batol thumb|right|The Gates of Grim Batol thumb|right|The first inner gate leading to Grim Batol, guarded by Axtroz of the Red Dragonflight After losing in a three way civil war with the Bronzebeards and Dark Irons; Khardros of the Wildhammer clan lead his people north through the barrier gates of Dun Algaz. There they founded their own kingdom within the mountain of Grim Batol. After years of bitterness Thaurissan, leader of the Dark Iron clan, launched a double sided attack from his city in Redridge against Ironforge and Grim Batol in hopes of taking all of Khaz Modan. Thaurissan lead his forces against Ironforge while his sorceress wife, Modgud, attacked Grim Batol. The Bronzebeards were able to push back the Dark Iron assault led by Thaurissan at Ironforge. As Thaurissan withdrew to Redridge, Modgud's forces began to break through the gates of Grim Batol. Modgud then used her sorceress powers to call for the shadows from the earth to attack the Wildhammers within their own fortress. The Wildhammers viciously fought back against the shadows and the Dark Iron forces. Finally Khardros was able to push through the invading onslaught and slay Modgud. Leaderless, the remaining Dark Irons began to hasty retreat to Redridge; only to be intercepted by the Bronzebeard army which had come from Ironforge to assist Grim Batol. The remaining Dark Iron Forces were crushed between the Wildhammer and Bronzebeard armies. Following the total defeat of Thaurissan, the Wildhammers returned to their home in Grim Batol. What they had found was that the death of Modgud had left an evil taint in their fortress. The Wildhammers found Grim Batol uninhabitable; and founded a new home in Aerie Peak. The Aftermath of the Second War During the Second War, Grim Batol was the center of all refining operations for the Horde's navy. It was also the main base of the Horde's dragon breeding program, where Alexstrasza the Red was kept captive and forced to produce Red Dragons to be used as mounts for Orc Dragonriders. Grim Batol remained in Orc hands long after the collapse of the Horde and the destruction of the Dark Portal, largely due to the power of their dragons. Eventually, thanks to the efforts of a band of unlikely heroes led by the mage Rhonin, Alexstrasza was freed. The Dragon queen immediately set about incinerating every Orc she could find, utterly destroying the power of the Dragonmaw Clan and killing its leader, the Orc Warlock Nekros. Currently, the abandoned ruins of Grim Batol have been turned into a hatchery by the Red Dragons. The ruins of the Orc caravan that tried to escape the fortress can still be seen strewn around the entrance. Grim Batol as an Instanced Dungeon Many players believe that Grim Batol will eventually be added to the game as an instanced dungeon, but so far there has been no word from Blizzard to support this theory. Grim Batol as a New Zone There is some implication in the novel Day of the Dragon that Grim Batol may be more than just the fortress in the Wetlands, and may also include a zone(also known as Grim Batol) east of the fortress that the Hill Dwarves take back after the second war. In the Eastern Kingdom's map in WOW there is an unfinished zone to the east of the Wetlands and Loch Modan. In the Warcraft RPG that area is called Grim Batol. Blizzard Quotes Back before Closed Beta, Tigole mentioned interesting details about the Grim Batol. This is probably referring to the quest that Horde players must undertake to get their Onyxia keys. --Bevans (FeldmanSkitzoid) 12:47, 16 Feb 2006 (EST) Category:World:Azeroth Category:Continent:Eastern Kingdoms Category:Zone:Wetlands Category:Sub-Zone Category:Lore